Automatic lawn-sprinkler



R. SILKYV.

AUTOMATIC LAwN sPmNKL'ER.

APVPLICATION FILED OCT. 25. i916.

1,334,808. Patented Mar. 23,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. SLKY.

AUTOMATIC LAWN SPRiNKLER.

APPLICATION man ocT.25,191e.

1,334,808. Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- R. SILKY.

AUTOMATIC LAWN SPHINKLER. APPucATluN FILED ML2-5, 1916.

, g v f sonner einer', or LANSING, mici-Ireen.,

AUTOMATIC LA'WNSPRINKLER Specification of Letters Patent. Pmgellt'l B131-,

Application filed. October 25, 15H6. Serial No. M7528.

in object oi the invention is to providev a sprinkling device oi this character in which the power transmission is controlled through the medium of tripped mechanism adapted to be actuated by abutment-s arranged in the path of travel of the truck oi the devicel so that said power transmis sion will be automatically'reversed at deter4 mined intervals for controlling the direction of movement of the truck in the operation of said device. y

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described Which is simple in construction, strong and diuable, cheap to manufacture and quickly and easily installed for use.

Other objects and advantages to be de rived from the use of my improved `automatic sprinkler will appear from the iollowing detail description and the claim, taken with an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a sprinkling device enibodyiug the improvements of my invention:

Fig. 2 is a top plan view oi the same;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional 'view enlarged;

Fig. 11 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional vievv;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-`5 of Fig. 3;

l Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of' the Water containing cylinder; y

Fig. 7 is an enlarged unassembled perspective of the clutch operating lever and rod; and

Fig. 8 is a tragmental sectional view of the Water drum and sealing bearing therefon Referring`l more particularly to the dravvings, wherein similar characters of rei`erence designate like and corresponding parts throughout the various views, I provide a carriage composed oit a body 1() mounted on driving Wheels 11 and 12 carried on the free ends of axles 13 and l-t, said axles being mounted in bearing frames 15 and 16 carried by the uuderiace ot the body 10.

The carriage as shown, is movable upon a traclnvay composed olf rails 17', said rails being connected in any suitable manner to maintain the same at proper gage. iitop members 18 and 19 are arranged at the opposite ends of the traclrway 17, said stop members terminating in handles 20 and 21 for transporting the traclnvay from place to place. a

A propelling means for the carriage is provided embodying a reciprocating water motor M having a cylinder 23, and cross head guide 24. A cross-head 25 is operable in the guide, maid cross-head being connected to a connecting rod E2G which is in turn counected to a c lank 27 formed on a crank shaft 28, said crank shaft being mounted transversely ot the body 10 in bearings `29, said bearings being 'formed upon the motor base 30.

llVater under pressure is supplied to the motor M through a flexible conduit 32, said conduit being connected z at 33 to a waterdrum 3ft.f One end wall ci' the drum 3Jv is provided with a packing1 35 surrounding` a bearing-meunier 3G, said bearing member being hollow and comnninicating with the conduit 32. A `flexible conduit 37 carries vvater from a stationary point to the drum, said conduit being adapted to Wind and unwind upon the drum as becomes necessary in use oit the device.

I provide means to impart motion to the drum to perform the Winding and unvvinding operation hereinbetore referred to, said means including a sprocket Wheel 3S carried by the drum, said sprocket Wheel having",r a chain 39 trained thereover, said chain being also `trained over a driving sprocket d() mounted on the axle 13. The drum 3ft is mounted in bearing brackets i2 carried by the-under face of the body 1U adjacent the power plant end oi the carriage. In the event that a diiferent ratio oi movement between the carriage and the reel exists this diilerence will be accommodated in the drum by means oft the :friction drive plate 39 acting against the sprocket vvheel carried on the 3X1@ 13 by virtue orf the spring 410. The collar 41 is movable alonel 'the aide to adjust thetension of the spring..

The water exhausted from the motor M is conveyed to the nozzles 44 and 45 through a conduit 46, said conduit being 'connected to a transversely extending pipe 47, saidv pipe carrying the Vnozzles on its free ends.

yThe perforations in the nozzles are arranged whereby to direct the liquid outwardly from the carriage and along the Vsides of the tiackt way so as to prevent the liquid from contaetingV with the rails or` any of the working parts of the device.

The driving mechanism of my invention includes azpower plant device embodyin a main drive gear 49 carried on and rotata le.

with the crank shaft 28, said gear being ar ranged in meshing engagement with a gear 50 mounted in bearing brackets 51 on the upper face of the body 10, a portion of the Y ygearf50. projecting below said body through an opening` 52.. A pinion 54 mounted .in

brackets 55 carried by the under face of the body 10 meshes with the gear 50 for a pur-V pose which will hereinafter appear.

vVV

f a Amiddle bearing for a longitudinally ex- AV gear housing 56 is carried by the under face of the body 10, said housing serving as I tendingdriving lshaft 57, the bearing portionsV of-the housing being designated 58.

YThe shaft 57 is mounted adjacent its free end in bearings 59 connected to the body 10. Aclutch block 61 is keyed to the shaft 57 as at'V 62, said. clutch vblock being slidable upon theV shaft to engagewith the clutch 'portions 63 Vand 64 of bevel gears 65 and'66,

said gears being l*freely rotatable Yon said yshaft in opposite directions, also Yreceiving motion from a bevel gear 67, last said gear being mounted on a shaft 68. The lshaft 68 ismounted inV a bearing 69 Ycarried by the bottoml walljof the housingV 56, the opposite `ends of the shaftbeing mounted in a bearing 70 formed onone ofthe sidewalls of said housing. f Motion is imparted tothe shaft 68 l by means'ofa gear 7 2 carriedon said shaft,

said gear'meshing with thepinion 54 herein- 'before referred tog' Y The motion ofthe shaft 57 is transmitted totheaxles 13 and 14 by means of bevel Y gears 73 and 74 carried by the free ends of block, this being best shown in Fig. 5.

Y VThe arm 7 6 is shiftedby means of a pair of rods 82and V83 mounted in bearings84 depending from the under face of the body 10. 4The rods 82 and 83 are preferably inyclined downwardly. toward the opposite end of the carriage for a purpose which will hereinafter appeal'. The rods 82 and 83 are connected with the clutch shifting arm 76 by a common pivot 85, the adjacent free ends of said rods being bifurcated to embrace each other and said clutch arm as best shown at 85 in Fig. 7. Enlargements 86 aie formed on the free ends of the rods 82 and 88 to engage the stop members 18 or 19 as the carriage traverses the trackway.

In use the trackway is placed u I on a lawn longitudinally or transversely t ereof depending upon the manner in which the lawn is to be sprinkled. Water is admitted to the conduit supplying the motor and causes the .same to operate, which in turn through the iod will engage one of the stop members 18 or 19 as the case may be throwing the clutch Yinto engagement with the other clutch face and reversing the direction of movement of the carriage.

In the meantime the water after being used to drive the motor M exhausts therefroniinto the pipe 46 and thence to the sprinkling nozzles 44 and 45. Thus it will `be seen that a given area on each side of the trackway will be moistened without any of the liquid coming in contact with working parts of the device or the trackway. When the car is traversing a trackway in Vboth directions motion is imparted to the drum 34 which winds and unwinds the flexible conduit 37 thereon to continuously supply water to the motor and sprinkling nozzles.

Of course, I do not limit my invention to the use mentioned, since the same may be readily and advantageously employed im spraying trees in an orchard with an insect destroying compound. Of course, it would, in this instance, be necessary to provide a separate line of pipe for feeding the liquid to be sprayed, since this liquid could not very Ywell pass through the cylinder of the motor. It will also be apparent that a rotary motor may be employed in lieu of the reciprocating motor shown. From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that a clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of my invention may be had, and while I have shown and described the device as embodying a specific structure, I desire that it be understood that suoli changes may be made in said structure, as

do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A sprinkling device comprising a Wheeled.

self-propelled truck having reversible power transmission thereon beneath said truck, a hanger on the truck adjacent to the trans- 10 mission, a straight gear shifting lever pivoted at its outer end to the lowei end of said hanger, guides on the truck at opposite sides of the lever, slide rods in the guides and pivoted to the lever medially thereof and ball terminals on the outer ends of the rods to engage abutments arranged in the path ol travel of said truck.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature hereto.

ROBERT SILKY. 

